Community theater is not generally known for taking on contemporary stage works with big themes. But the Town Players of New Canaan is breaking the mold this month with its production of Sarah Ruhl’s 2003 play, Eurydice. Praised by Charles Isherwood in the New York Times as “weird and wonderful,” and nominated for multiple awards, Eurydice is Ms. Ruhl’s poignant refashioning of the Orpheus myth, retold from the perspective of his wife, who is not as anxious to be rescued from the “underworld” as Orpheus is to bring her back to life.
As a fanciful, poetic, and sometimes amusing reflection on the themes of love, death, and the conventions of classical theater, Ruhl’s play is a treat from start to finish. Just one indication of its impact on the theater world: Matthew Aucoin asked Ms. Ruhl to adapt the play as a libretto for an opera which premiered at New York’s Met during the 2021-22 season.
Mat Young, director of the Town Players’ production, readily appreciates the musical sensibility of Ms. Ruhl’s script when he observes, “We don’t have those obligations of playing the myth that everybody knows — the “melody.” We get to play the harmonies. We get to play the minor chords…the dissonant notes. I think that Sarah Ruhl has written such a very beautiful play that feels open to imagination and ideas.”
Performances of Eurydice run from Friday, June 7th- Sunday, June 23rd at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, New Canaan. The cast features actors from Stamford, Norwalk and Pound Ridge. They are Sally Rose Zuckert, Eric Dino, River Glassberg, Zoe Guaman, Kaitlan Clark, Grady Dennis and Erin Williams. Tickets are currently on sale at the Town Players of New Canaan website: $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and $25 for students. For more information about this production, for tickets, or to learn more about the Town Players of New Canaan, go to tpnc.org
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